So you have run the latest Windows and found out that 10 is full of bloatware and updates to nail your PC to the ground. You may have also tried Linux, but found some things it does, and some things it won't, or impossible to be made to work, like camera drivers for example. Stuff which would work with Windows no problem. You may have tried running Windows Apps under Wine on top of Linux, some work, but some refuse point blank, or you have just found Linux too geeky and given up?

You have also discovered there is a lot more software around for Windows against Linux, especially for our radio hobby.

Also there is the no security update problem with those using ageing copies of XP, 2000, Vista and Win 7. Like myself whom will fall into the no support trap in another 18 months or so?

You also don't like paying for a new operating system and want it for free!

Well I might of found something that is being developed as an open source operating system that appears to fit the bill called ReactOS.

ReactOS is only up to version 0.47a, so it is in it's very early stages of development and I guess full of bugs, but it does seem to work as you would expect from a Windows operating system.

I have done a bit more research around the Web and found that that only a day ago, Chris Barnatt of Explainingcomputers.com had just made a video about the product, which I have bopped the link here for you all to watch:

This seems quite an exciting development as operating systems go, and something tight fisted penny pinching Radio Hams have been looking around for a number of years. Currently, I am not minded to move to it yet until it gets passed the beta stages, but it is something I would welcome very soon.

6 Responses to “ReactOS maybe the OS you just need?”

Thank you for sharing this. I have forwarded you Blog like and links to the REACTOS site and latest release 0.4.7 to a few friends of mine to check out. People like my XYL screams at the computer with each Win 10 updates. She does not need anymore stinking updates. I have two older XP machines, one being a nice dual core Toshiba. That will be my test unit for this software. I also have to Win 7 units. My concern is drives, esp for the Dell. I will be curious to see how this handles drivers.

If you’re waiting for it to get passed (sic) the beta stage, you’ll be waiting a while. It has taken ReactOS 22 years to get to alpha. By the time 1.0 comes around you won’t be able to buy a computer that will run it. As it is now, I can’t run it on any of my computers except in a VM, because of missing drivers. All 4 computers run Linux fine, without having to go out and look for drivers. Batteries included.

James…. I am not in any rush. However my experiences with software development has proven to me that once certain barriers are passed, things for from slow/stop/reverse to fast forward. So I will now start tracking this one at least once a month and see how it is developing. At this QTH I have many computers…Sometimes too many it seems. I have looked into Linux a few years ago and after using UNIX I can see some good points to it, but not enough to use it. So for now I will still be with Windoz 7 and 10 and hope ReactOS can get past whatever barrier it takes to go Beta. At that time I will jump in. I have been a beta tester before and it is fun finding bugs.

I’m a big ReactOS fan. It has great potential as a legacy support OS because the world runs on legacy, it has great potential as an obscure server OS once it reaches 1.0 and as a “GNU Project 2.0” where instead of having a Unix Clone, you have an NT Clone.

ReactOS will never be on par with current Windowws and if it does reach 1.0 and you have some programs and hardware working that only works with Windows XP, sure, it might reach pretty damn close to 1.0 in 10 years. But that would be 1.0 of the XP compatibility standard making it a clone of a 27-year-old code base. Of which is good in it’s own right, there are people that use FreeDOS every day and that’s a clone of an OS from 37 years ago. Maybe once it reaches 1.0, they might try cloning a build of Windows 10 but without all of the Spyware, but that will take years and by then Windows 10 might even be discontinued. (Even though MS says it’s the last version of Windows) But as for ReactOS, you have a better chance of Desktop Linux overtaking Windows and that is highly unlikely.

If you need a lot of bells and whistles for you kind of work Win 10 will never replace ReactOS. If you want something that will run WPS or OpenOffice, Firefox, HRD, Win4 K3/$Yeasu/4ICOM, Fldigi, WSJT-X, Log4OM, N1MM+ DxLabs and the rest, without the Windows constant BS of updating, then this might be a far better choice. There are many more Win based ham programs then with Linux or iOS. Yes some like the Elecraft and Fldigi (to name two) will work with other OS, in the long run why the need for bloat wear for just doing simple… I am hoping this become real and actually will work. If Linux can be Open Software and work, their is no reason why a Windows version can not be real also..